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Featured Reading

Belarus riot police disperse crowds with Czech-made flashbangs

New Atlanticist Apr 21, 2025

Four contests for democracy in Europe challenge the narrative of advancing authoritarianism

By Daniel Fried

In Georgia, Hungary, Serbia, and Turkey, pro-democracy demonstrators are taking to the streets in massive numbers. But how long will the upsurge last?
Democratic Transitions Europe & Eurasia
Belarus riot police disperse crowds with Czech-made flashbangs

New Atlanticist Mar 17, 2025

Enough carrots for Putin. For better negotiations, serve ‘maximum pressure’ instead.

By Benjamin L. Schmitt, Richard L. Morningstar, and Daniel Fried

Since Russia appears content for negotiations to move slowly, the Trump administration should turn up the pressure with new sanctions.
Conflict Economic Sanctions
Belarus riot police disperse crowds with Czech-made flashbangs

Issue Brief Mar 5, 2025

The EU must become a strategic player in defense—alongside NATO

By Justina Budginaite-Froehly

The European Union and NATO need renewed alignment on defense to meet the new geopolitical moment. Refocused cooperation would provide a critically needed burden sharing to eliminate vulnerabilities and prepare Europe to withstand new realities.
Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

featured events

Online Event Thu, March 20, 2025 • 9:30 am ET

The future of EU defense

Following the release of the European Union’s whitepaper on the future of European defense, an expert panel unpacks what role the EU should play in transatlantic security.
Europe & Eurasia European Union NATO Security & Defense
Online Event Tue, February 18, 2025 • 11:30 am ET

How long can Russia sustain its aggression in Ukraine?

The Eurasia Center discusses how the confluence of Russia’s war of attrition, economic decline, and energy damage impact the Russian Federation and its global standing.
Conflict Economic Sanctions Europe & Eurasia International Markets

The Russia Tomorrow series

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 challenged much of the common Western understanding of Russia. How can the world better understand Russia? What are the steps forward for Western policy? The Eurasia Center’s new “Russia Tomorrow” series seeks to reevaluate conceptions of Russia today and better prepare for its future tomorrow.

Read More

Russia Tomorrow

The reluctant consensus: War and Russia’s public opinion

by Maria Snegovaya

A new Atlantic Council report explores Russian society’s consolidation around the Kremlin and the Russian public’s perception of Putin’s war on Ukraine.

In-depth Research & reports

Belarus riot police disperse crowds with Czech-made flashbangs

Report Mar 3, 2025

The art of the transatlantic deal

By Frances Burwell

The transatlantic relationship is shifting with US president Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Nevertheless, discreet deals across the US-EU trade, energy, and defense sectors are possible.
Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
Belarus riot police disperse crowds with Czech-made flashbangs

Report Jun 7, 2024

Reconstructing Ukraine at war: The journey to prosperity starts now

By John E. Herbst, Olga Khakova, Charles Lichfield

Rebuilding the Ukrainian economy after Russia’s full-scale invasion will be a monumental task. Reconstruction can’t wait for peace and must be a well-coordinated, inclusive process.
Economy & Business Energy & Environment

programs

The Europe Center promotes the transatlantic leadership and strategies required to ensure a strong Europe.

EXPLORE THE PROGRAM

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East.

EXPLORE THE PROGRAM

The Atlantic Council in Turkey aims to promote and strengthen transatlantic engagement with the region by providing a high-level forum and pursuing programming to address the most important issues on energy, economics, security, and defense.

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Explore the Power Vertical podcast

The Power Vertical

The Power Vertical is a blog and podcast for Russia wonks and Kremlin watchers by Brian Whitmore. It covers emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today.

Explore the Debrief series

#AtlanticDebrief

#AtlanticDebrief hosts interviews with leading experts, policymakers, and newsmakers from both sides of the Atlantic to unpack the challenges and opportunities of the transatlantic relationship.

Explore the Series

#BalkansDebrief

The Atlantic Council Europe Center’s #BalkansDebrief series features timely conversations on key issues impacting the Western Balkans. Nonresident senior fellow Ilva Tare hosts newsmakers, experts, and officials for discussions on rule of law, energy security, cultural heritage, Russian and Chinese influence in the region, and more.

Explore the Series

Content

Czech Flashbang grenade

Article

Oct 6, 2020

Belarus riot police disperse crowds with Czech-made flashbangs

By Lukas Andriukaitis

Open-source clues on Czech arms company potentially supplying stun grenades to Lukashenka’s regime in violation of EU embargo.

Belarus Central Europe

BelarusAlert

Oct 6, 2020

The West finally imposes sanctions on Belarus

By Anders Åslund

After weeks of delays, the US and EU have finally imposed sanctions on the Lukashenka regime in response to the flawed August 2020 Belarus presidential election and crackdown on protests.

Belarus Democratic Transitions

UkraineAlert

Oct 5, 2020

The case for sanctioning Ukraine’s anti-Western MPs

By Daria Kaleniuk

Many of Ukraine's most prominent anti-Western figures also have considerable business interests in the West. Anti-corruption activists accuse them of hypocrisy and say sanctions are justified.

Corruption Non-Traditional Threats

TURKEYSource

Oct 5, 2020

Turkish Black Sea discovery: Is it geopolitics or economics?

By Anita Orban

While some expect that a Turkish drilling ship's discovery of the country's largest natural gas reserve to date will give Turkey a more advantageous bargaining position, the country has already had this leverage thanks to its wide variety of pipeline sources and access to the liquefied natural gas market.

Energy & Environment Energy Markets & Governance

Report

Oct 5, 2020

Lubyanka federation: How the FSB determines the politics and economics of Russia

By The Dossier Center

The FSB is one of Russia’s most closed government agencies, its work cloaked in secrecy. This report lifts the veil on how the organization works.

Corruption Defense Industry

BelarusAlert

Oct 4, 2020

Belarus protest crackdown sparks IT industry exodus

By Peter Dickinson

The Lukashenka regime's hard line response to unprecedented pro-democracy protests in Belarus is sparking an alarming exodus within the country's vibrant and economically important IT industry.

Belarus Democratic Transitions

In the News

Oct 4, 2020

Shamshur in Zerkalo Nedeli: Will Navalny’s poisoning be the last straw?

By Atlantic Council

Politics & Diplomacy Russia

Article

Oct 1, 2020

How to counter worsening cyber-security threats: The international strategy of the Dutch government

By Timo S. Koster

Cyber-security reports show that threats are getting worse, not decreasing. International cooperation is vital to consolidate the rules of the road in cyberspace, further their implementation by increasing the chance of exposing and stopping those who break the rules, and assist other countries in upgrading their resilience.

Cybersecurity European Union
Belarus Cyber Partisans

Article

Oct 1, 2020

Lukashenka’s regime confused by protest-driven cyber attacks

By Nika Aleksejeva

Government reactions to attacks by the Belarus Cyber Partisans marred by defensiveness, contradictions and ignorance.

Belarus Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Oct 1, 2020

Battle on the home front: Care for Ukraine’s veterans

By Lauren Van Metre

The situation faced by veterans in today’s Ukraine is not just a human-interest story. The reintegration of veterans must be a priority for Ukraine’s government, its allies, and its NATO partners.

Conflict Human Rights
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Experts

Fellow

Stanislava Mladenova

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Afghanistan Conflict

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Grégoire Roos

Head of Political Dialogue & Policy Innovation, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt

Millennium Leadership Program

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Geoffrey Pyatt

Distinguished Fellow

Global Energy Center

Energy & Environment Europe & Eurasia

Staff

Alexander Young

Project Assistant

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

European Leadership Accelerator Participant

Helene-Terese Jürgenson

E-Construction Services Project Manager, Estonian Ministry of Climate

Millennium Leadership Program

Energy & Environment Northern Europe

Fellow

Andrea Rigoni

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Cybersecurity Digital Policy
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Events

Public Event Tue, May 6, 2025 • 12:30 pm ET

Belgium’s defense minister on Europe’s evolving security landscape
Europe & Eurasia NATO Security & Defense Western Europe
Online Event Fri, May 16, 2025 • 10:00 am ET

Lucian Kim on “Putin’s Revenge” and Russia’s war on Ukraine
Europe & Eurasia Human Rights Politics & Diplomacy Ukraine
Public Event Mon, May 19, 2025 • 9:00 am ET

US-Latvia Resilience Conference
Europe & Eurasia Resilience & Society Security & Defense
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